Macron : Citizens' Debates on EU's Future = crucial from Summer 2018

Written by ACM

Friday, 20 October 2017

*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- It's around Summer 2018 that EU Citizens' potential Role in PanEuropean Public Debates on the Future of Europe, is due to arrive at a Crucial Stage, before Final Decisions up to the forthcoming EU Parliament's Elections on May 2019, revealed in substance the New French President, Emmanuel Macron, speaking to Journalists, including "Eurofora", at his concluding Press Conference, at the End of the October 2017 EU Heads of State/Governments' Summit, Today in Brussels.

On this occasion, he practically resumed his 2 successive landmark Speeches, recently at the Highly Symbolic locations of the eye-catching Acropolis Hill of Athens, where Democracy had been born in Ancient Greece, followed by the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris, (See : ...)

The overall move obviously heads at a Direction in Harmony also with "Eurofora"s 1997-2017 initial Project to Boost EU Citizens' Public Debates on European Decisions seriously affecting their Lives and/or Society at large, (See, f.ex. : ... + ..., etc). So that it's probably not a pure Coincidence if, while leaving, President Macron kindly saluted "Eurofora", asking if things went well enough (in order to be Ready ?)...

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- "We should Hold our (Popular) Democratic Conventions Before the Electoral Campaign" for the May 2019 Vote of a new EU Parliament+, in order to have, after the National, "also European (Public) Debates", he stressed.

- "That's why, I wish (for the EU Heads of State/Government) to have Finalized our Discussions until the Summer 2018", the French President noted, precisely.

- "So that we can have a(n EU Leaders') Road-Map on the Main Challenges for the Future of Europe" at that juncture, he invited.

- Because, "that's anOther (Alternative) way to Launch a European Debate", he explained, (apparently in order for some eventually reluctant parties, not to block everythinng, but allow to Advance Forward : See Infra).

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- In this regard, at any case, "We (EU Council) shall have a relevant Debate since the very Beginning of Next Year" (2018), Macron highlighted.

- In fact, "there is Not any Technical Difficulty" on that Issue : - "It's just a matter of Collective Political Will", he observed.

- Such a kind of EU Council's Debate "is due, at any case, to take place also on the occasion of the EU Leaders' Agenda" (just Drafted by Donald Tusk, EU Council's President, on the Basis, mainly, of the "Bratislava Roadmap", already Agreed since September 2016 at EU 27's Summit in Slovakia, (Comp. "Eurofora"'s relevant NewsReports from that Brtatilava EU event, f.ex. at: ....), and many have already accepted that, Macron noted.

- "That's why, the positions of Some Parties which appear Reluctant to move on that, seem Incomprehensible", he Criticized. A fortori, "since they should", on the Contrary, "be among the First to Push towards a European Democracy ! And, it's Better for them, Not to be just an Aggregate of National Parties, But to become Real European Parties", he rightfully urged.

+ And, in parallel, "at any case, I intend to Push Forward the matter of the Creation of European Lists" for Candifdate MEPs from various Political Parties, Macron promised.

--------------------- - On the Substance of the Issues at Stake, the new French President insisted on "an Overall View of the European Project", withOut Limiting the main Debate only on one or another Specific Point, independently of is eventual Importance.

=> In this regard, Macron pointed at his landmark, but quite Long, recent "Speech at Sorbonne" University in Paris, where he had developed a Plan described as a Threefold "Triptych", that he usefully Resumed Today in a few words :

- (1) "Sovereignity", (2) "Unity", and (3) "Democracy", he reiterated, Observing also that he "find(s) that kind of Triptych also in the Proposals made by (EU Council's) President Tusk", mutatis-mutandis, (Comp. Supra).

(1) "Sovereignity, means that we must Agree on 6 Elements : Migration, Defence, Energy and Environment, Digitalisation, our (EU's) Neighbourhood and Development policy", as well as "our Economic, Financial and Fiscak Strength : the Economic and Monetary Union" : "These 6 Elements compose what we call "Sovereignity", he explained.

+ This includes also some so-called "Technical Problems", as, f.ex., that of "a Common Budget for €uroArea", etc., since, "if we work well on them, then, we'll practically have such a Common Budget, de facto !", Macron Highighted.

- Concrning "Migration", (which became a "Hard" Issue after the 2015-2016 Giant Tsunami pf more than 1,5 Millions of People through Turkey, and was "further Complicated by those Relocatio. ), "we (EU) have to Develop relevant Policies with the Countries of Origin and Transit", as well as to "Protect our (EU's External) Borders", "and Unify our Asylum Systems", as well as "Coordinate the Influx", he stressed.

- "If we manage to achieve that, it will Help Desescalate the overall Debate", the New French President ensured.

- In fact, all that "is going to be Discussed, by EU Leaders, During the Next Few Weeks'

+ Afterwards, it will, naturally, be necessary to Better Coordinate our Approaches, but, at least for the Time being, I hope that We (EU Heads of State/Government) can Start to Advance Ahead", Macron concluded for now.

(../..)

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(NDLR: "DraftNews", already send to "Eurofora"'s Donors/Subscribers earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap.)

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Before the end of 2009, France and Germany will take strong initiatives to open "new Horizons" needed by Europe and the World, going well beyond the current Crisis' management, anounced French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel, reassuring that both a judgement on Lisbon Treaty by nearby Karlsruhe German Federal Court, and the forthcoming National Elections in Germany would confirm their capacity to act.

They were replying to Press questions in Berlin, after key-regional elections on Sunday, where Merkel's ChristianDemocratic party kept everywhere a strong 1st and won the possibility to forge a New Majority with Liberals at the largest of 3 Landers : Saxony (4 millions inhabitants), while its main competitor, the Socialdemocrat party fell to unprecedented lows : Tackled by the small "Linke" (left) party in Saarland (1 million inhabitants), it became even smaller than it in Saxony and Thuringen (3 million inhabitants), where SPD arrived only third. While its usual partners, the "Greens" also fell down, contrary to CDU's new partners, the FDP Liberals, who go up.

- "At any case, at the end of the year (2009), if things go as scheduled, we shall take strong initiatives, showing that Europe needs a Franco-German axis, as well as the World, even if it never excludes other" countries to join, replied Sarkozy to a question if France and Germany will revive the "European dream", by "relauncing the EU motor" for the Future, with actions going further than the mere management of the global crisis, (as it was done fex. in the Past with the creation of the "Euro" Monetary zone, etc).

- "I am convinced that the Franco-German friendship must be constantly nourished by New Projects", he added."There are many areas of cooperation where we intend to take, very soon, some Franco-German initiatives, which will allow to open more Horizons" to the EU, Sarkozy stressed.

But if "we don't speak about that now, it's only in order to avoid interfering in important elections coming in Germany", he observed. However, "we have already started to consider the Future with the (German) Chancellor, and what we can do in order to honour our predecessors". "We are already speaking about that, and we are preparing things". "I am working very well together with Mrs Merkel, and I wish that it goes on", Sarkozy concluded.

- "It's important for EU's credibility that France and Germany advance forward together", stressed Merkel from the outset. "Don't worry about Germany's capacity to undertake initiatives" with France, she added. "France and Germany will be perfectly able to make proposals" for the EU.

- "After-crisis" plans must be prepared, meanwhile, with measures "advancing progressively", Merkel anounced. And, for the short term, we must deal also with EU Citizens' dismay since they feel that it's a Scandal for some in the Financial Markets to be paid with excessive "Bonuses", etc, she agreed with Sarkozy.

- "Abuses in financial markets must stop", stressed also Sarkozy. Backing Merkel's announcement that France and Germany call for an EU meeting to forge "a crystal-clear European position" in view of the G-14 Summit at Pittsburg, he warned that "everyone will have to undertake his responsibilities, in front of World's Public Opinion. particularly those who don't want to make the same effort of regulation as France and Germany".

Such moves are obviously linked to the need to ensure at least an elementary respect for Human Rights by Third Countries, (f.ex. exploitation of Children's work, etc) in order to avoid, precisely, any such Social Dumping.

Thus, "the time comes, where decisions must be taken". But, in case of "Sanctions", "all International opinion should be convinced of the need to take action", he observed.

Expressed on the occasion of recent developments in Iran, the same principles should logically apply also to other similar cases, including fex. that of Hundreds of ECHR judgements' condemning f;ex. Turkey for grave crimes, (as Torture, brutal Killings, Enforced "Disappearances", Destruction of Family Homes, harassments and oppressive violations of Freedom of Speech, etc).

Meanwhile, questioned on (EU Commission's chair) Barroso's bid to succeed himself for a second mandate, they both expressed a "wish" or a "feeling" that "EU Parliament"'s various political Groups might fix a date for decisions "during September". However, is he is endorsed before the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, it will be legally necessary to re-vote anew for a full term of office afterwards, according to EU Legal Experts, revealed recently in Strasbourg the experienced former President of EU Parliament's Constitutional Committee, German Socialist MEP Jo Leinen. And Germany will not vote for Lisbon Treaty's ratification but only "on September 8 and 18", revealed Merkel, ( i.e. after EU Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg).

- Therefore, "for EU Commissioners' appointment, it's too early yet, because we must wait for the ratification of Lisbon Treaty" by all 27 EU Member countries, including naturally Ireland's Referendum on early October, said to "EuroFora" the influential President of EU Parliament's largest group of MEPs, Joseph Daul, expressing, however, the hope that a controversial deal with the head of the Socialist Group of MEPs, Martin Schultz of Germany, might hold for Barroso alone, at a forthcoming vote due to fix the Strasbourg plenary's Agenda.

But MEPs reportedly just "postponed" for 1 week all their previously scheduled group meetings (See : http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/barroso-unveil-summer-homework-week/article-184825 );

However, while the choice of a new EU Commission's President by EU Parliament is supposed, according to many MEPs' wish, take place according to EU policy issues, paradoxically, this would mean that Barroso's bid would pass before even the anouncement of France and Germany's "initiatives" for EU's "new Horizons"...

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2009 EU Elections were won by Parties against Technocracy and Turkey's controversial EU bid, while the 1999-2004 Majority Abstention trend decelerated. What should be done in 2009-2014 ?

* My Media didn't clearly say which political positions won in 2009 EU Elections. It left it gray and confused.

* Respect People's Democratic Choices, by making EU less Technocratic, more open to EU Citizens' participation, and by rectifying 1999-2004's errors on Turkey's controversial EU bid, which blocked EU institutions in an unprecedented Crisis